Vaccinating pregnant women with dTpa vaccine greatly reduces severe pertussis in infants

A case-control study in the state of New South Wales, Australia estimated that vaccination of pregnant women with the dTpa vaccine at 28-32 weeks of pregnancy was highly effective in preventing severe pertussis in infants less than 6 months of age — with a vaccine efficacy rate of 94% against pertussis hospitalizations — and 69% effective in preventing the disease of any severity in infants less than 3 months old.

Note: The formulation used in this study is abbreviated dTpa.

Adding dTpa vaccination for pregnant women in Australia would prevent thousands of pertussis hospitalizations each year

A study in Australia estimated that adding dTpa vaccination for pregnant women to the current pertussis immunization program for children would prevent an additional 8,800 symptomatic pertussis cases (mostly unreported) and 146 hospitalizations each year in all ages, including infants and their mothers, as well as one death every 22 months. The study found maternal pertussis vaccination to be cost-effective.

Note: The formulation used in this study is abbreviated dTpa.

Immunization against rotavirus has led to significant decreases in hospital admissions and gastroenteritis cases

Several countries have seen a significant decrease in the number of rotavirus-related hospital admissions in rotavirus unvaccinated children ages 2-5 years who were not age eligible to receive the vaccine post introduction. The US had a 41-92% decrease, Australia had a 30-70% decrease, Belgium had a 20-64% decrease, Austria had a 35% reduction and El Salvador had a 41-81% decrease. In addition, there was a reduction in hospitalizations due to gastroenteritis of any cause by 17-51% in the US and 40% in Australia.

Funding a national pneumonia vaccine program increased vaccine coverage among the elderly

A publicly funded 23vPPV (23 valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) program in Victoria, Australia not only dramatically increased vaccination coverage among the elderly in the public purchase program, but in other Australian states and territories that did not have a public program, the number of prescriptions issued for 23vPPV actually increased over the same period.

>